“I’ll be happy when you’re happy, Thea. You worry me.”
I leaned back on the headrest and shut my eyes. I worried me, too but wouldn’t admit it to her.
“Listen, I’m here. I mean it, I’m fine.”
“Okay, just take care of yourself. You know you always get sick during the summer, and there’s no one to take care of you.”
A smile pulled at my lips as I shook my head.
“I live alone at home, too.”
“Yes, but I’m at least close enough to see you. Remember that one summer you had bronchitis so bad it almost turned into pneumonia?”
Thanks to bad allergies and asthma, I could look forward to at least one rotten sinus infection each summer, although it had only become that awful the one time.
“I remember. And I do have a friend out here, now, so I’m notallalone, I promise.”
I said goodbye and ended the call, inhaling a deep breath before I shut off the engine. After a full day to process what happened between Dominic and me on Saturday night, I had no idea what to do with it or about it.
A night of sharing sweet memories had led us to lose total control on his couch. I’d told myself that the attraction I felt for Dominic was residual, left over from all the time we were together. The minute his lips were back on mine, it ignited a hunger that robbed me of every sense I had. The only thing I cared about was more: more of his hands, more of his lips. The aftermath hadn’t dawned on me until after, when he asked me to stay, and it frightened me how much I wanted to say yes.
I stepped inside the hotel, as I’d done every day for weeks, on shaky legs. Heading right to my office, I plopped in my seat and let my head fall into my hands, almost laughing. I swore to be professional, amiable, and not let my past with Dominic get in the way of my job.
Yet, every time I shut my eyes, Saturday night replayed in my head. Dominic’s hard body against mine, the heat in his hooded eyes when he said he remembered me. It was a huge contrast to how it used to be right before we’d split. Our kisses were hollow, his heart and mind too far away to ignite much passion.
This was how it used to be, only better. How had I walked away from that?
I had no clue, so I ran. But unfortunately, until this hotel was almost up and running, I couldn’t go very far.
“Hey,” Caterina appeared in my doorway. “I was going to call you yesterday, but we had a rough rest of the weekend with a screaming baby.”
“I didn’t expect to see you here so early. I meant to call you yesterday.” I stood with a grimace. “I’m sorry I went off with Dominic for so long. That wasn’t right since you’re the one who invited me.”
She waved me off. “Ava’s gums didn’t make us very good company.” She chuckled and shook her head. “And it looked like you were having a great time. I was glad.”
“Is she better now?” I avoided Caterina’s comment. I’d had a good time during, and after, but I wasn’t to the point of processing what had happened to talk about it.
“She is. And I have an early morning planning meeting with the general manager. But after, if you have time, maybe we could have some coffee and discuss that little dodge just now.”
I chuckled at her tapping foot.
“Coffee, yes.” I exhaled some of the tension in my shoulders. “The second part is a conversation over alcohol.”
She laughed, nodding her head. “Okay, I won’t press. Would it be okay if I took a look at the space?”
“Sure, I’ll walk with you.”
We headed over, and I noticed figures behind the frosted glass of the door. When I knocked and opened it, I found Dominic and a woman I’d never seen before. They were laughing in mid-conversation, her head falling onto his shoulder before they turned around.
“Good morning, ladies.” Dominic’s smile was so easy, and sexy, I wanted to punch him in the stomach. He looked free of all the turmoil plaguing me since we parted ways the other night, and was standing too close to the beautiful redhead.
But, we weren’t together, so there really wasn’t atoo close, or, at least, there shouldn’t have been.
“Sorry to interrupt, but Caterina wanted to check out the space while she was here.” I forced a tight smile. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, of course not.” His brows knit together. “This is Jill. She’s a hotel manager in town and offered to come check out the space to see if she had any suggestions. Early was the only time we could both come in. Jill, this is Thea,” he said, his eyes searching mine for a moment before he turned back to Jill. “She works for the investors here.”
“Nice to meet you, Thea.” She flashed a grin, showing off her perfect white teeth and full red lips, which only agitated me more. I needed to step away from all things Dominic before it made me even crazier.
